press charges

phrase

: to take legal action against someone : to officially accuse someone of a crime

He was caught shoplifting, but the store owner didn't press charges.

Examples of press charges in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The district attorney in the county where Cornell is located declined to press charges against any of the seven men who were accused of involvement in the assault – without ever conducting an interview with Jane Doe. — Kaitlyn M. Sims, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026

Van Houton has always defended his decision not to press charges in the 2024 case, claiming that the original statement the woman gave campus police did not seem to warrant criminal charges. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026

The organization says police are aware of what happened but will not press charges if the kitten is returned safely. — Riley Moser, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Both Paul and Mortensen leveled allegations against each other and were investigated by police, who ultimately declined to press charges. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for press charges

• discharges
• enlarges
• recharges
• surcharges
• barges
• overcharges